The Minor Prophets Speak to Today
Where Have All The Christian Leaders Gone?
___________________________________________________________________________
"Their leaders will be killed by their enemies
because of their insolence toward me.
Then the people of Egypt
will laugh at them."
___________________________________________________________________________
The godly leaders in the churches are indeed being killed - destroyed mentally, emotionally destroyed, physically destroyed - by their enemies [thus God's enemies] within the prostitute churches. This is why many good men - god men - have left the ministry.
They have in reality been driven out - their lives and God's anointed ministry destroyed. They are withdrawn by God into the desert alone with him, away from the wolves that rule the flock.
This is a tragedy. The anguish at the final judgment when the participants are presented with their unrepentant sins will surely be noticeable even within that great crowd.
These other church leaders, the one who are insolent toward God, fare no better. In fact their demise creates even greater shame to Jesus name. Very public shame. A death accomplished by their enemies - people who are enemies of God.
First, we need to examine the word insolent. King James calls it the rage of their own tongue. The New International calls it their insolent words. The picture word in Hebrews represents frothing or foaming at the mouth. When was the last time you saw that happen to someone? But this describes what God thinks of their teaching and preaching. It is useless froth or impassioned foam. It makes the appearance of hard labor for God but does not pass the test of truth, only the test of twisted scripture or even scripture denial.
Webster's New World Dictionary defines insolence as boldly disrespectful in speech or behavior. Yes, that fits the picture.
We see this in massive proportions in the feel good gospel, we used to call it the prosperity gospel but it has evolved leaving even further behind the whole counsel of God and seeking to empower its adherents to live a happy free life that defies Christ's description of what will happen to his followers. They have circled so far around that many of their teachings parallel those of the New Age beliefs, eastern religions, and other teachers of a false faith.
So sad, what started as a call to live under the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit - a response to the deadness in the churches - has itself become a call to human action under the laws of the universe. That's a far cry from the free gifts of God which under grace are free from law - God's and man's.
Even the ungodly can learn to manipulate the created order. We usually call that paganism. Our ignorance of the created spiritual order has left us to be led captive. Our ignorance of God shows the lack of the personal relationship which we claim we have.
The death of these insolent leaders used to be big news. One of the paintings from Islam shows the conversion of the Bishop of Smyrna. In recent decades the fall of Jim Baker and his empire occupied the news for months. The fall of Jimmy Swaggart likewise made the big news outlets. The Episcopalian Bishop who left his wife for a gay lover was covered though the secular world thought that was great. These and many more dalliances and corruptions attract attention even though they have become ho-hum.
Insolence by evangelicals and Pentecostals is not spared by God. Our leaders insolent words and behaviors around political agendas have become so rampant that people think we all stand for those ungodly outbursts and actions. The insolence of our approach to the culture wars and the so called war on Christianity also fails to reflect God and His truth or his work and place in our world. These leaders also will fall. Already the incidence of adultery and lavish self indulgence is giving way to embezzlement, sexual harassment and other violations of man's laws as well. Destruction will be soon.
The public exposure and death of ministries brought about by God's enemies and by God wielded secular authorities are now celebrated by the secular culture as victories for their secular definitions of truth and their global agenda.
This prophetic scripture is being fulfilled.
They have in reality been driven out - their lives and God's anointed ministry destroyed. They are withdrawn by God into the desert alone with him, away from the wolves that rule the flock.
This is a tragedy. The anguish at the final judgment when the participants are presented with their unrepentant sins will surely be noticeable even within that great crowd.
These are not the leaders referred to in the passage above.
I will leave to your own minds to connect the princes of government, academia, and business to today's passage. These are leaders on whom death will also be enacted. Instead I will limit our look to the other leaders in the church.
These other church leaders, the one who are insolent toward God, fare no better. In fact their demise creates even greater shame to Jesus name. Very public shame. A death accomplished by their enemies - people who are enemies of God.
First, we need to examine the word insolent. King James calls it the rage of their own tongue. The New International calls it their insolent words. The picture word in Hebrews represents frothing or foaming at the mouth. When was the last time you saw that happen to someone? But this describes what God thinks of their teaching and preaching. It is useless froth or impassioned foam. It makes the appearance of hard labor for God but does not pass the test of truth, only the test of twisted scripture or even scripture denial.
Webster's New World Dictionary defines insolence as boldly disrespectful in speech or behavior. Yes, that fits the picture.
We see this in massive proportions in the feel good gospel, we used to call it the prosperity gospel but it has evolved leaving even further behind the whole counsel of God and seeking to empower its adherents to live a happy free life that defies Christ's description of what will happen to his followers. They have circled so far around that many of their teachings parallel those of the New Age beliefs, eastern religions, and other teachers of a false faith.
So sad, what started as a call to live under the control and guidance of the Holy Spirit - a response to the deadness in the churches - has itself become a call to human action under the laws of the universe. That's a far cry from the free gifts of God which under grace are free from law - God's and man's.
Even the ungodly can learn to manipulate the created order. We usually call that paganism. Our ignorance of the created spiritual order has left us to be led captive. Our ignorance of God shows the lack of the personal relationship which we claim we have.
The death of these insolent leaders used to be big news. One of the paintings from Islam shows the conversion of the Bishop of Smyrna. In recent decades the fall of Jim Baker and his empire occupied the news for months. The fall of Jimmy Swaggart likewise made the big news outlets. The Episcopalian Bishop who left his wife for a gay lover was covered though the secular world thought that was great. These and many more dalliances and corruptions attract attention even though they have become ho-hum.
Insolence by evangelicals and Pentecostals is not spared by God. Our leaders insolent words and behaviors around political agendas have become so rampant that people think we all stand for those ungodly outbursts and actions. The insolence of our approach to the culture wars and the so called war on Christianity also fails to reflect God and His truth or his work and place in our world. These leaders also will fall. Already the incidence of adultery and lavish self indulgence is giving way to embezzlement, sexual harassment and other violations of man's laws as well. Destruction will be soon.
The public exposure and death of ministries brought about by God's enemies and by God wielded secular authorities are now celebrated by the secular culture as victories for their secular definitions of truth and their global agenda.
This prophetic scripture is being fulfilled.
The non-believers and followers of false religion are laughing all across America.
Islam helps this new Egypt carry that laughter around the world.
Are we that close to the end of the prophetic cycle?!
Photo Credits:
Monkey by jonm97@photobucket.com
Monkey by jonm97@photobucket.com
No comments:
Post a Comment